I guess I ought to record the saga of the MIT 360 computer, if only so that it may take it’s proper place in history. It is a little adventure which has been going on in the shadow of the more dramatic crises at MIT and is now rising to the surface in it’s own…
Category: AS-207/208
Verification of LGC when powered-up in space
The other day at MIT, when we were discussing the alternate mission AS-278B, the question came up of how the astronaut assures himself that the contents of the erasable memory is as it should be when he first powers-up the computer in space. Since there seemed to be some confusion or uncertainty at MIT, I…
Another AGC program development report
Just got back from the northlands and couldn’t resist sending out another note, although I really don’t have much to report. The program development planning at MIT seems to be progressing nicely. We did pick up a couple of items that require attention; e.g.,…
Apollo rendezvous navigation data edit is too complicated
In my notes of the AS-207/208 GSOP meeting with MIT, reference 66-FM1-100 of August 30, I indicated that MIT was including an automatic data edit scheme in the rendezvous navigational program for both the LM and the CSM. As you recall, this scheme was to accept radar or SXT data automatically if its effect on…
No special spacecraft computer programs are to be developed for AS-208B and AS-503
The decision has bean made by the Apollo Program Manager that unique computer programs need not be developed for missions AS-208B (LM) and AS-503 (CM). This decision was brought about due to concern that effort on these programs would affect development of the main line programs. It is certainly consistent with numerous other actions taken…
Notes from the MIT program development plan meeting of April 12
A few things came out of our program development plan meeting at MIT on April 12 that might be worth recording for my memory and your information….
Capability to do orbit navigation in earth orbit will not be implemented for AS-207 or AS-504.
MIT currently has plans for supplying a number of different modes for using their basic orbit determination program. (MIT calls this process “navigation,” so I will, too.) These modes differ in that there is a variety of types of observational data used during different mission phases….
Program Development Plans are coming!!
September 29th shall probably go down in history, at least in my diary, as the day of a major breakthrough at MIT. On that date we had an all day meeting attended by all key MIT management personnel involved in spacecraft computer program development. I expect it to be the first of similar weekly sessions…
Comments on the AS-207/208 Preliminary Spacecraft Reference Trajectory
TRW Systems released the AS-207/208 Preliminary Spacecraft Reference Trajectory during the first week of May. This report was put together on a compressed schedule, starting from rather hastily defined mission requirements. As a result, there are a number of things about it which were recognized as being in error even before release; however, since we…
Apollo spacecraft computer program development newsletter
There are a number of us who feel that the computer programs for the Apollo spacecraft will soon become the most pacing item for the Apollo flights. This is certainly likely to be the case for AS-207/208, by which time spacecraft, and booster delivery and Cape operations are likely to have become relatively routine, with…